Will Shakib Al Hasan become Bangladesh's new ODI captain? Details
Though Tamim Iqbal has taken a U-turn on his international retirement, he has stepped down as the ODI skipper. The same has put the Bangladesh team in a spot of bother with the ICC Cricket World Cup being less than two months away. Meanwhile, BCB president Nazmul Hassan is keen to know Shakib Al Hasan's availability for the post. Here are further details.
Why does this story matter?
Shakib, 36, is already the Test and T20I captain of the Bangladesh team. Moreover, the all-rounder is in the twilight of his career. It remains to be seen if he is willing to take on the additional responsibility. Litton Das was Tamim's deputy during the latter's tenure as the ODI skipper. Hassan, however, is skeptical about giving Litton the captaincy for the WC.
Hassan keen on getting Shakib on board
Notably, BCB officials, in a press conference, insisted that they will appoint their next ODI skipper for two years. Hassan is keen on getting Shakib on board owing to the all-rounder's vast experience. "Shakib is the obvious choice but can you say he will play for two years? We don't know that," he stated. "I think the easiest choice is Shakib."
Hassan throws light on two problems
Hassan highlighted the two key problems the management will face while naming the new ODI skipper. The first question is whether Shakib will play for two more years. The other is if an inexperienced captain like Litton is elected, can he handle the pressure of leading the team in the WC? Notably, the Asia Cup will get underway later this month.
Shakib has led in ODIs before
Shakib has previously led Bangladesh in the 50-over format, including the 2011 ODI WC. The Tigers have won 23 and lost 26 ODIs under his leadership (NR: 1). In these 50 games, the southpaw clobbered 1,547 runs at 35.97. With his left-arm spin, he returned with 68 wickets at 29.23. Hence, captaincy has not really affected his individual performance.
Litton's early days as captain
Litton, a vital cog of Bangladesh's batting line-up across formats, has so far led the Tigers in five ODIs, one Test, and one T20I. He led Bangladesh to a 2-1 ODI series win over India last year. As the ODI skipper, he has clobbered 143 runs at 35.75. The tally includes a fifty. His strike rate comes down to 76.47 while leading in ODIs.
